The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) held a grand
rally in Pyongyang's giant
May 1 Stadium Tuesday to commemorate the Chinese Volunteers'
entry into the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea from
1950 to 1953.

Kim Jong-il, chairman of the DPRK's National Defense Commission,
and visiting Chinese Defense Minister Chi Haotian attended
the event. Also participating in the rally were Kim Yong-nam,
president of the presidium of the DPRK's Supreme People's
Assembly, Cho Myong-rok, first vice chairman of the National
Defense Commission, and Minister of the DPRK People's Armed
Force Kim Il-chol.

In an address to the rally, Kim Il-chol praised the Chinese
people for sending the Volunteers to aid the Korean people
in their struggle against foreign aggressions 50 years ago.

He said that the Korean people and military will never forget
the "unselfish" help provided by the Chinese government
and people, and the notable exploits achieved by the Chinese
Volunteers who fell in action.

Noting that China and the DPRK are neighbors linked by rivers
and mountains, Kim Il-chol stressed that continuously strengthening
and developing the Sino-DPRK relationship conforms to the
basic interests of the two peoples and is of great significance
to maintaining peace and security in Asia and the world as
a whole.

He believed that the Sino-DPRK friendship will be continuously
consolidated and promoted with concerted efforts made by the
two peoples.

Delivering a speech at the rally, Chi said that the Chinese
People's Volunteers, fighting side by side with the DPRK military
and people, gained world-shaking victories against the foreign
aggressors.

A veteran of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea,
Chi said, "On this solemn occasion of the 50th anniversary
of China's entry into the War to Resist US Aggression and
Aid Korea, we all yearn for the old generation of late leaders
-- Mao Zedong,
Zhou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping and Kim Il-sung -- who had forged
and fostered the friendship between China and DPRK, and miss
the revolutionary martyrs fell in the action."

The traditional friendship of cooperation between China and
DPRK have entered a new stage of development under the solicitude
of Jiang Zemin, general secretary of the Chinese Communist
Party, and Kim Jong-il, general secretary of the Workers'
Party of the DPRK, and is increasingly displaying its exuberant
vitality, Chi noted.

China and the DPRK is surely to continuously develop and cement
their traditional friendship and advance the lofty cause of
world peace and development, he said.

After the rally by more than 180,000 people, Kim Jong-il and
Chi attended a mass performance held in the stadium.